French Plane Arrives to Battle Fire on Bulgarian-Greek Border

A firefighting aircraft from France is set to arrive today to aid in battling the fire on the Slavyanka border mountain. Bulgaria requested assistance under the European Civil Protection Mechanism after the fire, which had already consumed over 15,000 acres in Greece, crossed into Bulgarian territory. The presence of mine fences has complicated efforts to extinguish the fire on both sides of the border.

Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov stated, "A plane that I actually saw for myself within 10-12 seconds was able to fill between 6 and 7 tons of water. We have already detained this mechanism. I suppose that with a good set of circumstances this plane will be able to operate on Tuesday."

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that no one was injured in the fire that broke out last night in the Seventh District of Samokov, according to BTA. The fire affected a house and outbuildings, contrary to initial reports of three houses. Fire crews successfully managed to control the blaze.

In the past 24 hours, 128 fires have been extinguished across the country, as reported by the General Directorate "Fire Safety and Protection of the Population" on their website. There were no fatalities or injuries in these fires.